How to Improve Your Vegetable Yield This Year

For farmers, there is a continual need to increase their yield. This isn’t necessarily driven by a need to boost profits. It is, instead, driven by the need to feed an ever-growing world population. This increased demand is putting pressure on farmers to find new ways to tend to their crops. They are seeking methods that will allow for faster growth and also increased production.

What has come to greatly benefit farming, and results in an increased vegetable yield, are the developments in plant breeding and crop technology. Farmers are now aware in advance of the coming weather, they are more knowledgeable in terms of soil nutrients, and they have new solutions to dealing with pests and disease. The move to improve yields has gone hand in hand with a move towards increased efficiency and sustainability.

Planting with a strategy

Of course, farmers are fully aware of the seasons, but it is imperative that they plant both early and effectively. Choosing the right time to plant can have a dramatic impact on your vegetable yield. The timing of planting is not always entirely in your hands though.

Your ideal planting time needs to coincide with when the soil is ready. If the soil is not in prime condition then your efforts are likely to be wasted. To take control of planting times, there are ways in which you can treat your soil and ensure that it is always in the best condition.

Monitor your crops

If you are looking to increase your vegetable yield then it is vital that any potential issues are identified as quickly as possible. Regularly checking your crop means that you should be aware of any signs of stress almost straight away. Many farmers now choose to use drones for such checks.

Drones are able to record images that allow the identification of issues such as pests, diseases and weeds. Other checks will be needed to regular monitor soil quality and ensure that the nutrient levels are just right.

Testing your soil

Knowing that your soil is right has been touched on twice already, but this is worth revisiting. Nutrients and plants go hand in hand and if your soil is lacking in nutrients then your crop is likely to be disappointing, to say the least.

There are products available for commercial growers that ensure the levels of nutrients for plants are maintained at an optimal level. Using a new fermentation technology, yields are given a boost and abiotic stress, from the likes of drought, heat, and cold, is reduced.

Currently used on vegetables in Spain, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey, results demonstrate that there is enhanced nutrient uptake along with an increase in root and shoot growth. The outcome is a larger yield which is also of higher quality.

Crop rotation

Farmers should be well-versed in terms of the need to rotate crops. Where farmers choose to plant the same crop season after season, there is a detrimental impact on the soil quality. Ultimately this leads to a poor yield.

Alternating crops across seasons or the use of mixed farming is the answer here. Each crop has different needs and by altering those needs you are placing less demand on the soil. The demands on soil are still there, but they are diversified rather than remaining one constant. Getting to understand your farm is key here. What does the condition of your farm, and all of its characteristics, suggest about what will grow successfully? Understanding this and the following rotation will see yields increase each and every year.

Control water drainage

It is a basic fact that water is essential to all forms of life. Without it, crops would be unable to grow and develop in the first place. Managing water effectively is an essential part of farming. Too little and a crop will wither and die. Too much and you will see your crop develop mould and be wasted.

The latter problem is not one caused by overwatering. Instead, it is usually caused by poor drainage. An efficient drainage system ensures that there is no waterlogging. It also assists with maintaining the pH balance of the soil. This contributes to healthy growth and will see an increased yield.

Monitor weeds

This is an ongoing task and one that can have a dramatic effect on your vegetable yield. Of course, weeds need to be dealt with as soon as your crop is about to be laid. What is equally important is that they are monitored throughout and removed at the very first opportunity.

Weeds will drain the soil of nutrients. They will directly siphon any goodness away from your crop and lead you with a poor showing. Removing weeds early and often is a vital step to increasing, and improving your yield.

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